Wave after wave of terror washed over me. 

I dug my fingernails deep into my palms, fighting desperately against the panic rising in my chest. 

Taking tiny, shallow breaths, I forced myself to stay calm as I felt around with my curled up body. 

The air I exhaled felt scorching and painful. 

My head was pounding, and white spots danced before my eyes. 

I can’t die! 

My desperate will to survive made me contort my body, using all four limbs to search. 

Finally! 

I found a weak spot. 

I poked my finger through forcefully, twisted my body around, and pressed my nose against it, desperately gulping down air. 

“Huff, huff, huff…” 

My chest heaved as I finally came back to life. 

The air at my nose carried a faint strawberry scent. 

My finger that had broken through the air hole felt sticky. 

Chewing gum? 

A sharp pain shot through my heart, and tears fell uncontrollably. 

This flavor of gum—I’d bought it for Liam yesterday. 

He’d actually stuck his gum over the air hole. 

Did he know what that meant?! 

Before I could think further, a sharp pain suddenly tore through my belly. 

I felt liquid trickling from my lower abdomen, and the pain made me writhe. 

My whole body convulsed in agony as I bit down on my lip, the taste of blood filling my mouth. 

“Someone help me! Please!” 

I clawed frantically at the coffin walls, screaming at the top of my lungs. 

My nails broke off, sending shooting pains through all ten fingers as I screamed over and over. 

Blood ran down my fingertips until I finally heard the door opening. 

“What’s all the yelling about?!” 

“Jesus Christ, it’s just a coffin–it’s not like we’re trying to kill you!” 

“So damn dramatic!” 

Mrs. Martha walked in, still watching TikTok on her phone. 

I pounded desperately on the coffin lid, screaming. 

lly’s killing me- something wrong with the baby, let me out!“. 

I’m begging you, please. I am really pregnant! Call the doctor if you don’t believe mele 

I clutched my cramping belly, foars streaming down my face as I continued begging Mrs. Martha. 

Mrs. Martha didn’t respond, just mitered a few curses under her breath. 

Suddenly she noticed something, and the TikTok sounds from her phone stopped. 

“What the… why is there blood seeping out?” 

Her voice shook with alarm as Mrs. Martha stumbled backward, grabbing her phone to make a call. 

“Sir, there’s blood coming out of the coffin!” 

“Maybe something’s wrong with Giselle!” 

“Should I… should I open it up and check?” 

Mrs. Martha’s voice was trembling. 

Lucas’s voice came through the phone, irritated. 

“Blood? What blood?” 

“Martha, did she trick you too?” 

“Giselle’s too cunning and too much of a coward to actually hurt herself–how could that be real blood?” 

“It’s probably just another one of her pity plays.” 

“She wants to bleed? Fine, let’s see if she can bleed herself dry!” 

Lucas snorted and hung up. 

I was too weak from the pain to do anything but bang my head against the coffin walls 

“Martha, call someone else, please…” 

Mrs. Martha’s voice shook as her trembling fingers dialed. 

“Ethan, there’s blood coming from Giselle’s coffin…” 

“Liam, Giselle is…” 

“Oliver, Giselle…” 

“Bed–hopping bitch, disgusting whore…” 

All three boys hung up on her without mercy. 

Though Oliver didn’t hang up, he just kept repeating those awful words about me. 

His innocent little voice stabbed straight through my heart. 

On the other end of the line, Sophia Blake was laughing happily. 

Lucas and his three sons were carefully protecting her. 

I was in too much agony to feel anything anymore, and I’d given up all hope. 

Suddenly, I heard the door opening. 

“Where’s my dear daughter?” 

over and over. 

Chapter 4